Comfort
by obsessedwithjayma
Summary: Carl is about to leave Emma, and she finds solace in an unexpected source: Will's beautiful girlfriend, Holly. Will their relationship turn into something more?
1. Chapter 1

**So this is my new Hemma fic. It's a brewing romance between Holly and Emma, and they will be together in the end. It's set right after the episode "Sexy" in Season 2. I hope you enjoy. Reviews are _really_ appreciated. Let me know if I should continue on this idea! **

Emma walked out of the school's big glass doors, heading out to the staff parking lot. She walked quickly, her head facing the ground. A mild breeze flew through Lima's atmosphere and the crisp, chilly air cooled Emma's warm, darkened cheeks.

She was still embarrassed about what had happened not more than ten minutes ago. The humiliating events replayed in her mind, despite her futile attempts to block them out.

It had started with the song, of course. That sweet, innocent song that turned out to have a not-so-innocent hidden message. God, why did Emma always have to be the last to find out these things? Having Will Schuester and his beautiful, confident girlfriend inform her that afternoon delight was not, in fact, a dessert was the most humiliating thing Emma had ever experienced.

And then Carl had to go and tell Holly all about their marital problems. As if she could even 'counsel' them. Emma shook her head and let out an irritated sigh as she walked. That might have been even worse than the afternoon delight mishap. Carl telling Holly about their… issues.

Emma was self-conscious enough as it was. She was extremely embarrassed and ashamed that she didn't have the ability to give Carl what he wanted… in the sex department. The last thing she wanted was for Will's model of a girlfriend to hear about her insecurities. Holly was so perfect and superior already, Emma didn't want to give her another reason to make her feel better than the troubled redhead.

For some reason, Emma had always wanted to come across as confident, cool, and sexy to pretty substitute teacher. It was extremely important to Emma, and she had no idea why. Maybe she just wanted to show her that she wasn't just an obsessive freak, that she had actually given up Will because she _wanted_ to, that she could do much better and was, with Carl. But Emma had clearly displayed the opposite qualities to Holly. She had demonstrated that she was naïve, stupid, and pathetic. And she cursed herself for it.

"Hey wait… Emma!" The confident, slightly nasal female voice broke Emma from her thoughts and halted her purposeful walk as she turned around to see who was calling her name.

It was none other than Holly Holiday, waving her long, slender arm and hurrying up to catch up to the surprised guidance counselor. Emma wanted to run away, to ignore Holly, maybe pretend like she didn't hear, but it was too late. Holly was already within 10 feet of her, and Emma could already smell the sweet berry scent that Holly wore.

"Hey… thanks for waiting." Holly was slightly out of breath as she finally caught up to Emma, her cheeks and nose a soft shade of pink from the biting cold air.

"Um… ye-yeah, of course," Emma stuttered, looking up at the tall blonde nervously.

"Okay, I can tell you still feel a little weird about what went down today."

Emma's cheeks reddened even more.

"…and I owe you an apology. I was rude and insensitive back there. I mean, clearly you have your own issues, whatever they may be, and I have no right to judge you for them at all. So… I'm sorry."

Emma stood there, her mouth opening slightly in shock and bewilderment. It was true that she was a little miffed that Holly had been so unsympathetic when she had found out that the good-looking couple hadn't yet been together. But she never expected her to admit her mistake and apologize for it.

Holly stood there, looking at Emma with a sort of confused face, waiting for her to respond. She did feel really bad about making the insecure counselor feel uncomfortable. But that was just how Holly was. She spoke her mind, even when it could possibly hurt other people's feelings, and didn't worry about it afterwards. But this time was different. Seeing the pretty ginger's dejected, ashamed face when her hot dentist husband left the room really made Holly feel terrible. And she wanted to make it up to Emma.

"Uhm… it's okay. Don't uh… don't worry about it."

Holly's eyes squinted subtly as she listened to the redhead's words. No, it wasn't okay. She could easily tell that Emma was beyond embarrassed and miserable. She shook her head and put her hand on Emma's small shoulder.

"Don't be so nice, Emma. I was a bitch to you. I don't deserve your forgiveness."

Emma looked at Holly's bright blue eyes, and was surprised at how honest and sincere they looked. She wasn't used to such sincerity coming from the wild, outgoing woman. But she just shook her head and gave a small, unconvincing smile.

"Really, Holly, it's fine. It's not a big deal," Emma lied. It wasn't that Emma wasn't angry about what had happened. She just didn't want to start up a big fight. The truth was, Emma hated drama of all kinds. She hated confrontations and she _really_ hated showing her feelings, especially when they were feelings of hurt and sadness. And Holly read right through her.

"It's not fine," Holly insisted. "Listen, no matter what you say, I'm still gonna feel bad about it. And I want to make it up to you."

Emma bit her lip nervously. She didn't want this. Why was Holly doing this?

"Look, let me at least give you a ride home."

Emma's brow furrowed in confusion, until she looked around the small staff parking lot to see that there was only one car left in it: Holly's. Oh yes. Carl had taken off right after their little meeting to go to a last minute appointment.

"Oh… no, no it's fine. I was… I was just going to take a taxi. Really, it's no problem."

"Emma, come on. Taxis are way overpriced these days. It would be my pleasure to give you a ride home."

"No, I-"

"Emma, stop. I insist. Now come on. Get in the car." Holly smiled warmly at the protesting smaller woman.

_Why is she being so nice? Does she really feel that bad?_ Emma wondered as she pulled a tissue out of her purse, cleaned off the car door handle, and slid into the car. Holly noticed Emma's strange action and raised her eyebrow, but said nothing.

Holly's car was old, but it was nice. It was small and cozy, and had a nice lemony smell to it. Sliding into the driver's seat, Holly smiled broadly and said, "Pillsbury household, here we come!"

Emma smiled hesitantly and looked out the window as Holly began to drive out of the parking lot. _She probably just feels bad for me. Yes, that's it. She has the perfect Will Schuester and she wants to flaunt him in my face._

But during the car ride home, Holly demonstrated that Emma was completely wrong. Holly tried to make random conversation, and Emma was grateful for that, but Will's name didn't come up at all.

"So! How long have you and the hot dentist been together?" Holly teased, nudging Emma's arm. "By the way, great job on that. He is to die for!"

Emma flinched at the touch, and smiled uncomfortably at Holly's words.

"Um, we've been married almost three months."

"Ah! Newlyweds! Congrats, girl!" Holly grinned.

Emma bit her lip, her smile tiny. Holly could sense Emma's hesitation and decided to bring it up again, but nicer this time. Definitely nicer. She really wanted to help Emma.

"What's holding you back, sweetie?" She asked gently.

Emma turned her head to look at Holly. Although her eyes were on the road, her face was concerned and caring.

"Why do you even want to know, Holly? You've got the perfect relationship with Will; why do you want to bother yourself with my silly problems?" Emma's voice sounded bitter, and it was the most Holly had heard her speak since they had gotten in the car.

Holly nodded approvingly. Now they were getting somewhere.

"I want to help you, Emma. Just talk to me." Emma sighed as she looked into Holly's honest eyes.

"I just… I just can't." Her voice broke and she covered her face with her hands.

"Why not?"

"I'm afraid."

Holly nodded. "What are you afraid of?" They had reached Emma's house and were stopped at the curb in front of it.

"Having… you know… it's messy."

"Sex?" The word rolled off Holly's tongue so effortlessly. Emma blushed and looked down at her lap.

"Yes… that."

"I see…" Holly was beginning to realize that Emma was a hardcore germaphobe. Like, it was more than just a funny quirk. She had real problems with messes. It confused her and intrigued her at the same time.

"Well, in my opinion… if Carl really loves you… he'll wait for you. Sex isn't something that should be rushed."

Emma's eyes began to fog up. She shook her head and her eyes conveyed so much pain.

"He won't though… he's so frustrated. You saw. He already has one foot out the door as it is." Her voice became higher and sobs escaped Emma's throat. This was so embarrassing. She was so happy when she found Carl; she had someone handsome and wonderful to show off. But now… he was nothing but another disappointment.

Holly put a hand on top of Emma's. Seeing the redhead cry was heart-wrenching. She couldn't figure out why she felt for Emma so much, but she did. Emma sniffled quietly, rather enjoying Holly's comforting touch. She didn't understand why Holly was being so nice, or why she felt like she could talk to her about anything.

It was a mystery to both of them.

But something clicked between the two women that day. They both could feel it. And as they sat in Holly's warm car, just enjoying each other's presence, Emma gave Holly a real, genuine smile for the first time since they had met.


	2. Chapter 2

**I wasn't going to continue with this story, since it got very little interest, but I got a lot of messages asking me to finish it, and I've got time so I wrote another chapter! :) This is harder to write than I thought, so sorry if it goes slowly. Please Review!**

Emma sat on the huge fluffy bed, holding a wrinkled piece of paper tightly in her hands. The house was dark, and seemed even bigger than it really was due to the overwhelming emptiness. Emma had never been completely comfortable in Carl's large home, but his strong presence always made her at ease. Now that he was gone, the house seemed scary and empty.

She blinked away tears, so overwhelmed by the day's events. She unfolded the small paper in her hands for the zillionth time, rereading the ten digits scrawled onto it again, even though she had already memorized them. Holly Holiday. The only person left that she had. Emma had either pushed away or hurt everyone else in her life. And in the car less than an hour ago, she had actually talked to her about her true feelings. That hadn't happened in a long time.

Emma closed her eyes and breathed deeply for a moment. She didn't know what was going on. She didn't know what road her life was going down. A tear slid down her cheek as Emma realized how badly she had messed up.

Suddenly, the front door banged shut, jolting Emma from her thoughts. She opened her eyes and quickly wiped away her tears, stuffing the wrinkled piece of paper into her pocket. She stood up, still sniffling, just as the bedroom door creaked open and Carl walked in, looking hesitant and worn out.

"Emma…" His voice was hoarse and tired.

"Ca…Carl…" Emma stuttered nervously, not knowing what to expect.

"Look, Ems, I'm sorry. I've been a terrible husband. I shouldn't be pressuring you to leave your comfort zone. I just… I get so frustrated sometimes…" his voice trailed off.

Emma nodded, a pained look on her face. "I… I know. I'm sorry too Carl, I just… I don't know, I guess there's something wrong with me…"

Carl shook his head. "No… Em, there's not… ugh. Come here." He pulled Emma in for a hug as she began to whimper quietly. She was so dejected, and so confused.

_Why can't I just be normal? Why is my body so…behind… everyone else's?_ She thought. After a moment, she pulled away from Carl and wiped her eyes, sniffing one last time.

"I'll give you what you want, Carl. I… I just need a little more time. I know it's hard. But… I just don't want to lose you," Emma begged, knowing it was a lie, knowing she would never be able to give herself to him, to a man she knew she was not in love with.

"I'm willing to wait, Emma. I love you."

And so it was resolved in words, but neither of them felt resolved emotionally. That night, the bed seemed bigger than ever as the two slept facing opposite directions, a mile separating their bodies.

* * *

The next day, Emma drove herself to work, arriving early as she often liked to. It gave her extra time to organize paperwork, figure out her schedule for the day, and just get situated in her well-organized office. As she sat in her office, preparing for her first appointment, a light knock could be heard on her glass door. Holly's smiling face appeared through the glass and Emma instinctively smiled back, bringing Holly to open the door and slowly come inside.

"Hey," Holly said with a smile.

"Hi," Emma replied tentatively.

"I… I hope it's okay that I stopped by. I just wanted to see how you were doing. Since… you know, last night…"

Emma looked down at her desk and swallowed.

"Um… yeah. I… no it's fine, um… Carl came back last night. He um… he said he would wait for me. And we… we worked it out." Emma chewed on her lip.

"Oh! Really? That's… great." Holly was surprised. She didn't expect Carl to give Emma another chance. "So are you…. so everything's good?"

Emma bit her lip nervously. So many emotions were built up inside of her, and she didn't want to cry at work. But there was something about Holly's sincere face, her warm voice that convinced Emma to talk honestly.

"No," she admitted. "Everything is not good. I… I can't keep doing this, Holly. I'm lying to him, and I'm lying to myself." Her voice had gotten a little hysterical and she lowered her voice a bit, taking a deep breath. "I will _never_ be ready to be… intimate… with Carl. That's the truth." She blinked quickly, avoiding eye contact with Holly.

"Why is that?" Holly said, moving closer to the small counselor and putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I… I don't know," Emma cried. "I just don't… I don't _feel_ it with him."

"Feel what?"

Emma shook her head. "I don't know," she whispered. It was unexplainable.

Holly nodded, and began to rub Emma's back comfortingly.

"Hey. It's gonna be okay. It's not the end of the world."

Emma looked up at the tall blonde with a small, grateful smile. She wasn't used to being counseled. She was used to _being_ the counselor. It was nice to have someone else be the one to help her.

Holly continued to gently rub Emma's back, glad that she seemed to be making Emma feel a little bit better. She didn't know why she was doing this, and she didn't know why all of a sudden she felt a sort of magnetic pull towards the insecure ginger. But for some reason, Emma was opening up to her, like she had never done with anyone else. And Holly _wanted_ to help her.

Emma let out a shaky sigh, trying to calm herself, reminding herself that she was at school, with students walking around.

"I… I think I just need some time to figure everything out. I'm so… confused right now…" Emma said softly.

"I agree," Holly nodded. "You need some time to think about _yourself_. And what you want for yourself. And… you know you can always talk to me, if it would help." Emma looked at Holly and gave a grim smile.

"Thank you…" she whispered. Holly smiled and patted the petite ginger on the back one last time before leaving Emma alone with her thoughts.

* * *

3…2…1… _beeeeeep._

Holly brightened when the microwave beeped and eagerly opened the metal door, taking out the small TV dinner and placing it on the counter. Unwrapping it and taking a whiff of the spicy aroma, she grinned and dug her fork into the creamy pasta. Just as she was about to bring the delicious bite to her mouth, her phone buzzed loudly. With an annoyed grunt, Holly put her fork down and looked at the name on the phone.

_Emma Pillsbury._

Holly's eyebrow arched as she read the name and she quickly accepted the call, bringing the phone to her ear.

"Hey girl, what's up?"

"Um, hi Holly, I uh… I'm sorry to bother you. I just… um… could I come over for a little bit?" Emma's voice trembled through the receiver. Holly could hear a mix of desperation, anxiety, and terror in Emma's soft voice and although Holly didn't know the cause, she knew she needed to help Emma.

"Of… of course. Come right over. I'll be here. Is everything okay?"

"Um… yes. Yeah. Yeah, I'll be right over. Thanks, Holly."

The line went dead, and although Holly wasn't fooled one bit by Emma's last line, she closed her phone and waited impatiently for the cute redhead to arrive. She threw away the TV dinner, finding herself too nervous to eat, and sat on the couch watching a TV program she didn't care about at all.

Finally, a knock on the door. Holly rushed to open it, and there stood Emma, looking as scared and insecure as ever. Her big brown eyes were even wider than usual, and her cheeks were slightly reddened.

"Emma…" Holly breathed. "Emma, what happened? Are you okay?"

"Uhm… yeah. Yeah, I um… I'm fine. I just wanted to… to talk. Is that okay?" The redhead gave a small, unconvincing smile and shrugged. Holly's concerned feelings did not go away, but she mirrored Emma's smile and invited her in.

Walking into Holly's small apartment, Emma looked around curiously. It was a cute little place, small but cozy. Holly led them into the living room, where there were a couple of armchairs and a sofa.

"Do you want anything to drink, sweet cheeks? Are you hungry? I could make us some coffee." Holly offered with a smile and a wink.

"Yeah, um, coffee would be great. Thanks, Holly," Emma replied softly.

As Holly went to the kitchen, Emma hesitantly sat down on the sofa, her back completely straight and her legs perfectly aligned with the rest of her body. She smoothed her skirt out and tucked her hair behind her hair, nervously looking around the room. She was still subtly out of breath, not from physical exertion, but emotional exhaustion. She tried to calm herself down, counting in her head, but nothing worked.

_Why am I here? What am I doing here, at Holly Holiday's house, when I barely even know her?_ Emma asked herself. But the answer was evident. She had no one else to turn to. And for some odd reason, Emma felt comfortable in Holly's presence, felt safe talking about her true feelings to the confident woman. What had just occurred, though, she wasn't sure she was ready to discuss with _anyone._

After a few minutes, Holly returned to the living room with two mugs of steaming coffee. Handing one of them to Emma, she took a sip out of the other and plopped down on the couch beside her. Emma had calmed down noticeably, though her eyes were still wide.

"So what brings you to my lovely abode on this fine day, Emma Pillsbury?" Holly began with a smile. Emma giggled quietly and swallowed before speaking.

"I…. um, I don't really know…" she stuttered, looking down at her coffee.

"Em… what happened? You can tell me." Holly leaned close to her reserved friend and put her hand under Emma's chin, lifting her face up and looking into her big brown eyes. Emma bit her lip and shook her head, willing herself not to cry. With a sigh, Holly realized she would have to take this slow.

"Okay, look, here's the deal. I don't really understand your predicament too well, considering I'm pretty much a sex monster, but I'm gonna try to help you, okay? But that means you have to help me understand. You need to talk to me, Emma. Do you think you can do that?"

Emma took a deep breath and gave a small nod.

"All right then," Holly said. "So… what is it that scares you about doing the deed with the hot dentist?"

Emma looked up and let out an exasperated sigh, putting her hand on her burning cheek. Holly was so… out there. It made Emma uncomfortable, but at the same time she wished she could be as carefree and confident as Holly.

"Sorry," Holly apologized. "I'll try to be more sensitive." She reprimanded herself inside her head, knowing Emma needed sensitivity, especially now.

"Um…" Emma began in a soft voice. "I… I don't know if it scares me, exactly, um… I just don't… feel the desire, I guess."

Holly raised her eyebrow. "Go on…"

"Well, I mean, I love Carl. I do, I just… there's no spark, you know? No… flame." Emma struggled to find the right words to describe what she was feeling.

"And did you feel that spark with Will?"

Emma breathed out slowly, surprised by this curveball.

"Uhm… I don't know. I thought I did, at first, but… I don't think anything was there. I think I just enjoyed feeling… wanted." She gave a sideways glance at Holly, who was staring into her eyes intently, listening attentively.

Holly nodded, understanding Emma's emotions just a little bit better. She subconsciously scooted closer to Emma on the couch, so that their legs were almost touching.

"So… what you're telling me… is that you're not attracted to guys." Holly stated. Her hand was on Emma's knee, trying to employ her with confidence and security.

"I… I don't know. I'm so confused…" Emma sighed.

"Okay. Hold on. I want to try something."

Holly tucked a strand of Emma's soft red hair behind her ear, and brought her face even closer to Emma's. She could smell Emma's sweet perfume wafting off of her, and she could practically feel the heat radiating off of Emma's pink cheeks. Her face continued to move closer to Emma's, until their faces were only inches apart. Holly's hand moved up Emma's leg to her thigh, resting their innocently.

Emma closed her eyes. She didn't know what was happening. But she felt like there were a thousand suns sizzling in the tiny space between the two women's lips. Her thigh was burning with anticipation under Holly's firm hand, and it spread to her whole body. She had never felt like this before.

Holly inched her lips closer and closer to Emma's until the space between them was miniscule. All of a sudden, Holly's eyes opened wide and she pulled away.

_What the hell am I doing?_ She thought. _Emma's talking to me about how she's afraid of sex and here I am trying to kiss her? What kind of whore am I?_

Emma's eyes flew open as the sizzling sensation went away as quickly as it had come, and she realized Holly was standing up. She couldn't explain what had just occurred even if she tried, but for some reason she was disappointed. Very disappointed.

"Ah…" Holly began awkwardly. "I… I'm sorry. I um… I think you should go. It's late."

Eyes still wide, Emma stood up slowly. Her legs feeling like jello, she walked towards the door, Holly following behind her. Once she reached the door, she turned around to face Holly, not knowing what to say.

"I… I'll see you at school," she stammered, then rushed out the door.

Holly ran her hands through her blonde hair and sat down on the couch, unsure of what had just happened. Less than two minutes later, there was a light knock on the door. Confused, Holly stood up and opened it. There stood Emma, her cheeks blushing and her hair windblown.

"I forgot something," she stated confidently. Without another word, she stepped inside the apartment, deleted the space between their bodies and rapidly brought her lips to Holly's.

Holly's eyes opened wide, then closed as she kissed Emma back, wrapping her arms around Emma's small neck.

It was fire, pure heat, as their lips molded together, just as they had always meant to. Emma felt a burning sensation all over her body, and she realized there was indeed meaning to life.

Finally, Emma stepped back, looking into Holly's clear blue eyes.

"Bye, Holly," she breathed, and left the house without another word.

Sitting in her car outside Holly's house, Emma replayed the kiss in her mind a thousand times. She was awed by this new feeling, but now more confused than ever. She licked her swollen lips tenderly, Holly's sweet taste lingering on her lips.


End file.
